Mike concentrates his practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation, franchise and distribution litigation, and labor and employment litigation. He has obtained defense verdicts and judgments in trials in both state and federal courts, and has represented clients from a wide range of industries in complex commercial and class action litigation. Mike has successfully tried cases involving franchisee/franchisor disputes, commercial contract disputes, constitutional challenges to state statutes, property disputes, and discrimination and other employment-related disputes. He has obtained defense verdicts and summary dismissals in federal and state courts in cases involving Title VII race and sex discrimination, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA and related state law causes of action. Mike also has advised a wide range of clients regarding labor relations strategy, including union avoidance and defensive strategies during union organizing campaigns and union representation elections. He has successfully represented clients in proceedings before the Department of Labor and negotiated substantially reduced penalties for violations of wage and hour laws. In addition, he has represented clients in collective bargaining negotiations and acted as lead counsel in more than 100 labor arbitrations involving discipline and contract language issues, as well as representing clients in unfair labor practice proceedings, and election challenges before the National Labor Relations Board.
Mike started his career in 1995 as an attorney with Husch Blackwell and left to practice with Jones Day from 1998 to 2004. He returned to the firm in 2004.